Mary in Islam

This article is about Mary in Islam. For Virgin Mary, see Mary in Islam (disambiguation).

Mary in Islam (مريم "Maryam" in Arabic), the mother of Jesus, is venerated as a righteous woman. She is mentioned more times in the Qur'an than in the entire New Testament. She is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur'an, while Jesus is considered to be one of the great prophets of Islam.

According to the Qur'an, Jesus (called 'Isa in Arabic) was born miraculously by the will of God without a father. His mother is regarded as a chaste and virtuous woman and is a highly respected figure in Islam. The Qur'an states that Jesus was the result of a virgin birth, but that neither Mary nor her son was divine.

In the Qur'an, no other woman is given more attention than Mary. The nineteenth sura of the Qur'an is named after her and is, to some extent, about her life. Of the Qur'an's 114 suras, she is among only eight people who have a sura named after them. In Islam, she is generally referred to as Maryam, Umm Isa (Mary, the mother of Jesus). For Muslims she is a symbol of submission to God and piety.

The birth of Mary

According to the Qur'an, Mary's father was Imran and her mother, although unnamed, can be identified as the Judeo-Christian Hannah. Mary's story begins while she is still in her mother's womb. The mother of Mary said, "O my Lord! I do dedicate into Thee what is in my womb for Thy special service: So accept this of me: For Thou hearest and knowest all things." (Qur'an 3:35). When Mary was delivered, she said, "O my Lord! Behold! I am delivered of a female child!" (Qur'an 3:36). She had expected her baby to be a boy who would grow up to be a scholar or religious leader. Qur'an 3:36 continues "…and God knew best what she brought forth — 'And no wise is the male like the female. I have named her Maryam, and I commend her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the Rejected.'"

In Qur'an 3:37, God states that He accepted Mary as her mother had asked. She was assigned into the care of a priest named Zacharias (Zakariya). "Every time that he entered (her) chamber to see her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said, 'O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?' She said, 'From God. For God provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure.'" (Qur'an 3:37). Although his wife was barren and he was very old, God blesses Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth with John. John is known as "John the Baptist" in the Bible.

The virgin birth

The Qur'an declares that Jesus was the result of a virgin birth, but describes Mary and her son not as divine but as "honoured servants" (21.26). The most detailed account of the annunciation and birth of Jesus is provided in Sura 3 and 19 of The Qur'an wherein it is written that God sent an angel to announce that she could shortly expect to bear a son, despite being a virgin.

The Qur'an discusses Mary's miraculous pregnancy as well. "Relate in the Book (the story of) Mary, when she withdrew from her family to a place in the East. She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects." (Qur'an 19:16-17). After seeing the angel, she said: "I seek refuge from thee to (God) Most Gracious: (come not near) if thou dost fear God." (Qur'an 19:18). The angel Gabriel responded: "Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a pure son." (Qur'an 19:19). She asked: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?" (Qur'an 19:20). The Angel Gabriel said: "So (it will be): thy Lord saith, 'That is easy for Me: and (We wish) to appoint him as a Sign unto men and a Mercy from Us.' It is a matter (so) decreed." (Qur'an 19:21). Mary then becomes pregnant.

After conceiving Jesus, Mary went away with the baby to a distant place (Qur'an 19:22). "And the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm-tree. She cried (in her anguish): 'Ah! would that I had died before this! would that I had been a thing forgotten!'" (Qur'an 19:23). Joseph, the magi, and manger are not mentioned in the Qur'an. God was Mary's only Provider. Muslims do not accept the virgin birth of Jesus as evidence of Jesus' divinity. "The similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: 'Be.' And he was." (Qur'an 3:59).

(Remember) When the angels said O Mary! God Gives thee Good News of a son through a Word from Him! His name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honoured in this world and in the next, and of those who Are Granted Nearness to God! (3.45)

And he shall speak to the people in the cradle, and when of middle age, and he shall be of The Righteous (3.46)

She said My Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me ? He Said, That is as it shall be. God Creates what He Pleases. When He decrees a thing He says to it "Be" and it is! (3.47)

The Qur'an also declares that one of the reasons (amongst many listed) for the punishments of The-God upon the People of the Book -- "God has sealed their hearts" (4.155) -- is for their "uttering a monstrous lie against Mary" (4.156). This is understood by some to refer to the accusations of wanton unchastity which was directed by some against Mary in her lifetime and which (Jewish sources consider to be anti-Semitic) interpretations recorded in the Talmud. In fact the Qur'an includes Christians, Jews (including Karaites and Samaritans), and "Sabians" (a Qur'anic term interpreted to refer to the Mandaeans) among the People of the Book.

Sura 5 (Al-Ma'ida) 116-119 includes the Prophecy of the Judgment Day where "Jesus son of Mary" will be questioned by God as regards those who worship him and Mary, and that Jesus will deny them:

And when God will say O Jesus, son of Mary, didst thou say to men: Take me and my mother for two gods beside God? He will answer Holy art Thou! I could never say that which I had no right. If I had said it, Thou wouldst have surely known it. Thou knowest what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Thy mind. It is Thou alone Who Art the Knower of all hidden things

I said nothing to them except that which Thou didst command me - Worship God (Arabic: Allah), my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst take me up, Thou hast been the Watcher over them, and Thou art Witness over all things

If Thou punish them, they are Thy servants; and if Thou forgive them, Thou surely art the Mighty, the Wise.

God Will Say This is a Day when only The Truthful shall profit by their truthfulness. For them are Gardens beneath which streams flow; therein shall they abide forever. God Is well Pleased with them, and they are well pleased with Him! That indeed is the Supreme Triumph!

Significance

Mary is one of the most highly-regarded women in Islam; there are several verses in the Qur'an praising her and confirming that she was an extremely chaste and pious woman. Other righteous women include: Bithiah (Asiyah in Arabic), foster mother of Prophet Moses (Musa); Khadijah, wife of Prophet Muhammad; and Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad.

See also

• Maryam (sura) - for the chapter about her in the Qur'an
• Roman Catholic Mariology
• Mary, the mother of Jesus the historical and multi-denominational concept of Mary
• Blessed Virgin Mary Christian views of Mary
• Theotokos Eastern views of Mary
• Frithjof Schuon
• Mariology

External links

• Surah Maryam (Chapter Mary) Flash
• Jesus and The Virgin Mary in Islam By Juan Galvan
• The Story of Mary and Jesus from the Qur'an By A.Yusuf Ali
• Mary the Blessed Virgin of Islam By Aliah Schleifer